Key result
Antidepressant treatment linked to improved mood, functional status, and disability in comorbid chronic illness.
Why the study?
The clinical and functional outcomes of depression treatment in primary-care patients with chronic medical illness compared to those without such illness were unclear.
Does antidepressant treatment improve depression and functional status similarly in primary-care patients with and without chronic medical illness?
Comparison
Patients with ischemic heart disease, diabetes, or obstructive lung disease versus patients without these chronic illnesses
Design
Cohort study using health plan administrative data and telephone interviews
Follow-up
6 months
Authors
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Depression treatment improves mood and disability in comorbid patients; leaves open whether slower gains in heart disease warrant tailored approaches.
Cohort (n=439)
Does antidepressant treatment improve depression and functional status similarly in primary-care patients with and without chronic medical illness?
Initiation of depression treatment leads to significant improvements in mood, social and emotional functioning, and disability in patients with chronic medical illnesses, suggesting depression may be a stronger determinant of disability than stable chronic medical illness.
Simon et al. (2005) conducted a cohort in Depression with and without chronic medical illness (n=439). Antidepressant treatment vs. Patients without chronic medical illness was evaluated on Depression severity, functional status, and days of disability. Antidepressant treatment in patients with chronic medical illness and co-morbid depression was associated with significant improvements in mood, social and emotional functioning, and disability.
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